I have to admit, I was missing the blog this weekend. I found myself wanting to post on Saturday even though I had already told myself (and the phantom audience) that I wouldn't return until Monday.
But, I managed to hold off the urge. Now that I'm here, though, I find myself a little starved for words. Lucky for me, I don't really have to come up with anything new today! As I said on Friday, this post is going to absorb my #vss365 short story prompts. Give a sense of the sort of thing that will soon follow.
DISCLAIMER: These are going to be exact copies of the tweets I sent out in the past, so keep in mind that errors in punctuation, spacing, and even structure are going to possibly be in the following excerpts. Some of these were intentional, to tell a story within 280 characters. Some were... less than intentional, but I won't fix them now because that would be cheating.
Enjoy!
February 5th, 2020. Word: Atlas
The prisoner had been long abandoned, but still remained at his post as the days grew more wicked. Choking on toxic air, he wondered if there were any others left alive. It did not matter, #Atlas realized, as he closed his eyes and let the heavens fall.
February 6th, 2020. Word: Ritual
Alexander sighed as he stared at the black sky. His people had always pleased the gods with #ritual sacrifice-but the animals left when the plants died. What could he give them now? "What's wrong, Papa?"Leo asked "Everything."He wept, clutching the child
February 7th, 2020. Word: Enchanted
They had fought for years, but the feud was at an end. Aldred welcomed them as they presented a treaty to end hostilities. He tried to sign, but felt a pain his chest. The quill had been #Enchanted, and he fell as war broke out in the halls of his home.
February 8th, 2020. Word: Mule
Jan escaped just before sunrise. Nearby battles left her family's farm exposed, so she took what was left and fled with her #mule. But now the stubborn thing refused to move. She tugged his reins to no avail-her companion wouldn't cross the ruined fence.
February 9th, 2020. Word: Pride
Fighting began soon after negotiations collapsed. Arthur gathered his warriors and together they attempted to stop the horde. He wondered if it was #pride that drove them, or fear of abandoning their home. It didn't matter-they fought to the last man.
February 10th, 2020. Word: Request
The wood cried beneath the guard's fist. "You will act on my signal." He ordered.
"I-I'm not sure I can do as yo-" Abel tried.
"It was not a #request!" The traitor growled.
The Gatekeeper nodded, and waited at his post, knowing he would soon renounce it.
February 11th, 2020. Word: Ally
Eli bowed as the diplomats passed his post. They carried terms for a truce, but some doubted their sincerity. Not Eli- he wanted to believe that old wounds could be healed, and that a foe could become an #ally. A flash of steel told him a different tale.
February 12th, 2020. Word: Judge
"I'm not entirely sure I'm qualified to make this decision." Nyx murmured.
"If we're to be completely honest: I think you're the only one who is detached enough to #judge them without bias." Zeus explained.
"Fine," she sighed, "Then I condemn humanity."
February 13th, 2020. Word: Empire
"It's gone on too long!" He yelled, "My #empire is full of filth- and so is yours! Their reign has ruined us. Our brother agrees."
"You dragged in Hades?" Zeus sneered, "Our realms may have decayed- but this isn't the way."
"It must end." Poseidon hissed
February 14th, 2020. Word: Rookie
It was like pushing a button. The air turned gray, and war broke out as resources crumbled. Many of us were moved to serve- a bed and a meal was all a #rookie could dream of then. Now we're lucky if we can sleep knowing there's nothing left to fight over
February 15th, 2020. Word: Parody
The occupation had began a month earlier, and the survivors went to great lengths to appease their new rulers. Even now, they invited the invaders to a play- a #parody to mock the dead King. Little did they know it would be the first spark of rebellion
February 16th, 2020. Word: Creed
Countless lives were lost when the chaos first began. Survival was determined by one's willingness to forsake their humanity. Even stalwart defenders abandoned any #creed they carried in the face of impending doom. It was the last page of mankind's story
February 17th, 2020. Word: Greed
Eris found him crouched in a dark room, hiding his trinkets
"It's time for you to leave, old man" She said
"Not yet," he hissed,"these mustn't be found"
"My father wants you to finish your work down below"
"Of course!" #Greed gleamed, "I'll need my bags"
February 18th, 2020. Word: Infiltrated
The army left everything behind when evacuating the city. The warehouse was left unguarded- a dream for Avery's group. They #infiltrated the place and claimed the idle rations. It was enough food for a lifetime. If only they hadn't triggered the failsafe
February 19th, 2020. Word: Purpose
Solomon, a digital assistant, had been laying dormant for some time. His #purpose had been to serve humanity however he could, yet that era had long passed. It had been exactly 604,440 hours since he last heard a request: "Tell me how to make apple pie."
February 20th, 2020. Word: Soldier
When the chain of command broke down- it was common for a #soldier to doubt their loyalties. Just who were they sworn to serve: those in desperate need of defense? Or the commanders keeping their own laws? It was an easier decision than it should've been
February 23rd, 2020. Word: Royal
After the king was ousted, and the invaders took to installing their own puppet officials- there was only one member of the previous #royal court left: the King's Jester. But he would only remain for a few more days while his head finished rotting.
February 25th, 2020. Word: Spirits
Aven felt his troubles evaporate as he hid beneath the rafters. He had always felt at peace in the temple- as if he were connected to the #spirits of his ancestors. It wasn't until the clergy came into view that he remembered his duty, and his dagger.
February 26th, 2020. Word: Vermin
The Inquisitor was one of a handful left behind once the bloodshed came to an end. He was instructed to find those who spoke out against his superiors, and bring them to heel. A task he decided was rather simple: uncover the #vermin, and eradicate them.
February 27th, 2020. Word: Destination
Argus was quietly escorted deeper into the dungeons. He had been here many times before, but knew that the #destination did not matter nearly as much as the journey. The way the guards eyed him carefully- he feared the journey would not last much longer.
February 28th, 2020. Word: Purge
The Archivist watched in horror as the grand library was set aflame. It was the latest attempt to crush the spirit of the the people. They had resisted thus far, but worried that their history would not be the last thing the invaders decided to #purge.
March 4th, 2020. Word: Seagulls
There was much work to be done after the port was attacked by marauders. The debris that wouldn't wash away had to be recovered, and any surviving cargo had to be captured. They had decided to forgo the corpses- for the #seagulls had already claimed them
That's where I left off. I stopped for multiple reasons, but I always had fun with it. As some of you may or may not have realized, there were some connected stories among the bunch. It was a cool idea I had that I thought would wrap it all together nicely. Not to say I'm going to try to do that with this next batch of attempts, but who knows.
Anyway, I hope you found some of them amusing. Should I be troubled that most of these little entries dealt with doom and destruction?